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Volcano group takes part in Drones Quilt project

A group of Volcano residents has signed on to the international Drones Quilt project sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation, a worldwide charity that promotes non-violence and peace and works to end armed conflict by campaigning about peace issues and educating about non-violence.

The quilt outreach project was launched in November by England’s chapter of the fellowship, which is based in Oxford. Anyone is invited to participate.

“The quilt is a work of advocacy that hopes to raise awareness about assassin drones and focus attention on growing numbers of civilian casualties that include increasing numbers of women and children,” said a spokesman for the Volcano group. “Each square of the quilt is made by a person or group who wishes to advocate for innocent victims of drone strikes by placing the name of a drone victim and their name, showing that they stand in solidarity with them.

“The immense quilt creates a visual petition to remind viewers of the humanity that is absent from these remotely detonated weapons.”

The Volcano group chose one of the youngest victims of drone strikes, Ayeesha, a 3-year-old living in Pakistan.

To join in the effort, send a 12-inch-by-12-inch piece of fabric with your name and a drone victim’s name that can be found on the Fellowship of Reconciliation website at www.for.org.uk. Send this to Peace House, 19 Paradise St., Oxford, OX1 1LD, England.

“The quilt is a work of advocacy,” said Jessica Cheetham of the Oxford group. “It’s a really simple project designed to raise awareness about drones and remind the government that often, the victims of drone attacks are civilians, people like us who haven’t asked to be involved in conflict, who are afraid, alone and innocent.

“We want to take the quilt to Parliament this May as part of our Called to be Peacemakers Conference 2013 to advocate on behalf of those killed needlessly.”

Each square of the quilt is made by someone like you, who writes their name and then the name of a civilian victim on a square of fabric. These are then sewn together to create a visual petition.

The Fellowship of Reconciliation is a spiritually based movement committed to active nonviolence.

as a means of personal, social, economic and political transformation. FoR England (FoRE) is part of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR).

“Drones are remotely detonated weapons; they can be used in the Middle East, for example, but detonated by someone in Nebraska,” said Cheetham. “They reduce human beings to dots on a screen, tiny blobs of light in the control room of an army base.

“The quilt restores humanity to those killed or maimed and reminds people that for every single victim of a drone there was a real person with loves, desires and a life,” she explained. Britain is already involved in the drones industry and wants to be more so. This is unacceptable and barbaric.”

Cheetham said it’s easy to get involved. Here’s how:

— Using the Drones Quilt website at dronesquilt.wordpress.com, read some stories about people killed or maimed by drones. Choose a story that resonates with you;

— Cut a 12-inch-by-12-inch piece of fabric;

— Sew, write, embroider or paint your name and the name of someone killed by a drone onto your square. Be as creative as you can;

— Pop it in an envelope and post it to Peace House, 19 Paradise St., Oxford, OX1 1LD, and

— Tell people! The more squares, the bigger the quilt, the more impact.

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